People are actually buying this $100 grilled cheese

Humble lunch transformed into an ‘ultimate culinary indulgence’

Why settle for your everyday grilled cheese when you can go gourmet? That’s what the team at Chicago’s Deca Restaurant + Bar in Chicago’s Ritz-Carlton hotel has to say when it comes to this old-school favorite. In honor of National Grilled Cheese Month (ending today), the eatery has been offering what it calls the “Zillion Dollar Grilled Cheese”. In truth, it’s not a zillion dollars, but it’s plenty pricey at 100 bucks. Still, the restaurant practically makes it seem like a bargain, noting how much the sandwich packs in between and atop those two slices of bread (and artisan country sourdough bread, no less).

Taste this? Packaged foods go bold

(3:13)

Chipotle and jalapeno are among the spicy notes showing up in prepackaged foods from tuna fish to snack bars. What's behind the trend for spicier flavors?

Begin with the cheese itself — a 40-year-old aged Wisconsin cheddar that’s been “infused with 24K gold flakes, taking the grilled cheese to the next level of decadence,” according to the restaurant’s press release. Add in thinly sliced black Iberico ham that’s “sourced from pigs living primarily in the South of Spain, allowed to roam free in the pasture eating acorns.” And don’t forget the heirloom tomatoes “lightly drizzled with 100-year-old aged balsamic vinegar.” And for that matter, don’t hold the mayo — or in this case, the aioli (a spread similar to mayo) that’s been flavored with truffles sourced from Oregon. Finally, there are the toppings: foie gras straight from New York’s Hudson Valley, a sunny side up duck egg and shavings of that Oregon truffle.

Need an accompaniment? The restaurant includes a side skillet of lobster mac ‘n’ cheese with the sandwich, calling the complete package “the ultimate culinary indulgence.”

The reality:

Obviously, you don’t need a culinary degree to know that a quality grilled cheese sandwich can run well below $100 — or well below $10, for that matter. But even if you allow for the fact that this sandwich has pricey stuff in it that might justify the three-figure cost — see this item-by-item breakdown — some foodies suggest that it’s not necessarily a “great” sandwich.

In particular, they point to the fact that the choice of cheese may not be ideal. Clark Wolf, author of “American Cheeses”, says he’d prefer a Vermont cheddar over a Wisconsin one since “the Vermont is creamier.” (Another possibility, say cheeseheads, is a Gruyere since that cheese is known for melting well — it’s what goes in the classic fondue recipe, after all.)

Additionally, experts raise issues with, well, the additions: Some of the extras may be superfluous (food professionals note that edible gold leaf doesn’t really have any taste) and some may be wrongheaded (Clark Wolf says the duck egg is too gamey — he’d prefer a quail egg). But more to the point, they say, too many toppings and fillings can get in each other’s way. “It’s like the cocktail that has nine ingredients,” says one New York cheesemonger who preferred to remain anonymous.

And that’s not even factoring in the wrongheadedness of a “luxury” grilled cheese sandwich served in a high-end hotel eatery, says Clark Wolf. “For me, the ultimate grilled sandwich is one made by me in my pajamas,” he says.

The restaurant counters such criticisms by noting that the idea was to have a little fun in honor of National Grilled Cheese month. “We wanted to make a statement about grilled cheese,” says Tom Segesta, general manager of the Chicago Ritz-Carlton. Segesta also notes that the choice of a Wisconsin cheddar was to play up the hotel’s Midwestern locale.

Finally, Segesta says that despite the hotel’s “ritzy” reputation, it can be a relatively reasonable place for lunch, with most items at Deca Restaurant running $14 to $25. Still, some patrons apparently had no problems forking over $100 for a grilled cheese sandwich: Segesta says the Deca has sold more than 30 to date.

Intraday Data provided by SIX Financial Information and subject to terms of use.
Historical and current end-of-day data provided by SIX Financial Information. Intraday data
delayed per exchange requirements. S&P/Dow Jones Indices (SM) from Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
All quotes are in local exchange time. Real time last sale data provided by NASDAQ. More
information on NASDAQ traded symbols and their current financial status. Intraday
data delayed 15 minutes for Nasdaq, and 20 minutes for other exchanges. S&P/Dow Jones Indices (SM)
from Dow Jones & Company, Inc. SEHK intraday data is provided by SIX Financial Information and is
at least 60-minutes delayed. All quotes are in local exchange time.